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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
A Structured Rehabilitation Protocol for Improved Multifunctional Prosthetic Control: A Case Study
Published on: November 6, 2015
Functional outcomes of total temporomandibular joint replacement with customized prostheses: a clinical case series
Gonzalo Martinovic Guzmán1, Josefina Silva Radnic1, Sofía Escobar Riquelme1
1Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital Militar de Santiago, Chile.
Objectives:
To report the clinical and functional outcomes of patients undergoing total temporomandibular joint (TMJ) replacement with customized prostheses.
Materials And Methods:
Six female patients treated between 2018 and 2024 for advanced TMJ pathology-severe osteoarthritis (n=5) or condylar osteochondroma (n=1)-were included. All underwent unilateral total joint replacement using customized prostheses planned with cone-beam computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Interincisal mouth opening (IMO), pain (visual analog scale), jaw function (JF), and dietary intake (DI), assessed through a Likert-type psychometric scale, were recorded preoperatively and during a minimum follow-up of 24 months.
Results:
All patients showed postoperative improvement. Median JF decreased from 6.5 to 3.5, DI from 8 to 1.5, and pain from 7 to 2. Postoperative IMO averaged 32 to 33 mm. One patient required revision for screw displacement without long-term functional compromise.
Conclusion:
Customized TMJ prostheses proved safe and effective, demonstrating consistent improvements in pain, mandibular function, and dietary capacity in patients with severe joint disease. This approach represents a reliable therapeutic option when combined with individualized surgical planning.
